Kate Middleton’s Post-Pregnancy Paunch

We should be embarrassed that we even noticed it.

The buzz over Kate Middleton’s baby (third in line to the English throne in case you live in a cave and missed the CNN Breaking News updates!) shows no sign of abating. It’s hard to believe that it’s such big news in 2013, long past the glory days of the monarchy, but the tabloids and even the mainstream press and blogosphere seem to be filled with constant updates.

And constant comments. Some people feel sorry for the Duchess, forced to appear in public, made-up and put together the day after she gave birth. I know many of us mere mortals who don’t bother with clothing (there’s a reason God made robes!), let alone make-up for weeks or even months afterwards. Others feel less compassion. “She knew what she was getting herself into, marrying a prince,” they murmur. “If she accepts the perks, she also has to accept the price.”

But one thing that everyone I know remarked upon, the charitable and the less so, was her stomach. Without exception, everyone I know who saw the picture noticed the size of her belly (maybe I need to re-examine the circles I move in!). Everyone alluded to the fact that she still looked pregnant, that not only was she not back to her pre-pregnancy weight but she barely looked like she had lost anything and boy was she going to have a hard time! Even though, as we know, she had given birth less than 24 hours earlier.

There are numerous problems with our attitude.

In the first place, it’s none of our business. Even though, as mentioned, she has chosen to be a public figure, it should be her actions that count and not her post-pregnancy weigh-in. It speaks to certain shallowness in our society that her weight is our preoccupation.

We’ve clearly missed the point – the child. Pregnancies take a toll – we gain weight, we are nauseated and tired, we have sciatica and heartburn and a host of other ailments. But we do it because we feel that having a child is worth it. Let’s keep our focus on the end game.

Why the obsession with weight at all? What difference does it make whether her (or our) stomach ever returns to the way it was? Will it make us better mothers? More devoted and attentive wives? Why do we care – about her or ourselves? Wouldn’t all the women who struggle with infertility gladly take a little tummy in exchange for their desperately desired child? Aren’t we all appalled when People magazine features actresses who don’t plan to have children because they don’t want to ruin their figures?

We should be embarrassed that we noticed Kate Middleton’s stomach. We should be ashamed that we commented, humiliated that we care.

I guess it makes all of us pudgy, “regular” moms all over the world feel better about ourselves when even a glamorous and usually well-dressed member of the Royal Family doesn’t look perfect, when she looks more like the rest of us – hair and makeup aside. But we shouldn’t care.

We need to feel good about the choices we make for ourselves, physically and spiritually. We need to rejoice in our commitment to parenting as a higher value than a commitment to the perfect flat stomach. We need to feel confident about our priorities. This is where we could actually learn from the Duchess of Cambridge. Perhaps she also felt uncomfortable greeting the public in her less than ideal state. But she didn’t cower in the corner. The demands of her job took precedent. Her pleasure in her new infant was more important, her relationship with her husband and his family the higher value.

Since most of us are not famous, no one is looking at our post-pregnancy paunches (Just how long can one claim to be post-pregnancy anyway? Is 17 years pushing it?!) or other flaws. But it’s Elul. Rosh Hashanah is coming. We need to organize our priorities and evaluate the spiritual work that needs to be done. We can start with ignoring the superficial and re-focusing on what really matters. Although I wouldn’t mind Kate’s dressmaker…

About the Author

Emuna Braverman has a law degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters in in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. She lives with her husband and nine children in Los Angeles where they both work for Aish HaTorah. When she isn''t writing for the Internet or taking care of her family, Emuna teaches classes on Judaism, organizes gourmet kosher cooking groups and hosts many Shabbos guests. She is the cofounder of www.gourmetkoshercooking.com.

Visitor Comments: 32

(26)
Anonymous,
August 18, 2013 1:50 PM

it is uterus and not a fat

Everyone with some knowledge of human anatomy will know that uterus needs time to shrink to pre-pregnancy size and it is minimum 6 weeks. So the belly bump is not a fat or anything else but large post pregnancy uterus that will shrink over time. Pre-pregnancy uterus would not be able to carry the child. It is incredible how judgemental some people are. It is great that she exposed her belly, and please leave the couple and the child alone!

(25)
Anonymous,
August 16, 2013 4:37 PM

I don't understand...

I'm at a loss over this entire article. Don't all women have a bulge the day after they give birth? I certainly had for all my three chidren, and so did all of the women I have ever visited the day after they gave birth...Are there actually women who don't?!

(24)
Rebecca,
August 16, 2013 7:07 AM

I think she looks perfect

It's perfectly normal and perfectly beautiful to have a post-baby bump the day after delivery. That's how God made us! The crazy thing is that people see this as a defect and not just a natural part of being a 1-day post-birth mom!

(23)
Anonymous,
August 16, 2013 1:52 AM

I applauded her for not hiding her tummy!

I for one also noticed her tummy - and I was glad that she did not hide it. In a world where celebrities hide out on their private compounds until they lose all the excess weight they've gained during pregnancy and women are expected to look like Barbie dolls a month or six weeks after bringing a new life into this world, it was nice to see a woman the way EVERY woman looks a day after birth - with a barely smaller tummy. She is a role model and she is fully aware of it and she did the absolute right thing: she did not gloss anything over and give us the photoshopped version, she gave us the real thing. And for that I applaud her.And to everyone who looked at that tummy and thought: "Oh my, why is she still so fat?!" I say: get real! This is what pregnancy does to a woman. It took nine months to grow, it will take about as much time to go away!One the other hand, Kate also showed us that being pregnant is not a free pass to eat whatever you want in quantities never imagined. She showed us that pregnancy can be (and often is!!) beautiful. And, I have no doubt, she will show us that it is possible to get your figure back, more or less, within a reasonable amount of time, if you live a healthy lifestyle! That is ultimately the key: health.

Annette Edwards,
August 23, 2013 5:24 AM

Kates post baby bump

Let us all not forget that Kate, with her teeny tiny frame gave birth to a whopping 8.6 pounds baby boy. i have seen many Hollywood starlets give birth to babies weighing far less than Kate and Williams boy, and still was bigger than her. I am very proud of Kate, she reminds me so much of Lady Diana, and she would be proud of her too. They share the same approach to rearing their kids. Kate is for real.

(22)
Rabbi Joseph A Selevan,
August 15, 2013 7:09 PM

I think that it is commendable that you noticed it and worried about it. It is stated "Yodayah Tzadik Nefesh B'hemto" . Do you have an aspiring gynecologist in the family. Someone commented that It is normal to have a bulge after giving birth.Seek out a nurse or a Doctor to be your friend. Shalom Bless me to marry a Health professional.

(21)
SarahRachel,
August 15, 2013 1:29 PM

It's NORMAL to Notice Things Like That

I think it's perfectly normal to notice Kate Middleton's stomach. Every woman who has ever been pregnant recognizes that stomach. I did. I also know, as a 54 year old woman and mother of 5, that the stomach goes away pretty quickly after the first couple of kids. At least for women that young and that active it does.

So my fleeting notice of her stomach went like this: *notices stomach* "She'll lose that soon enough. *mild surprise* that as a celebrity and especially as a Royal, she didn't cover it up. They all do, as a rule. *shrug* In a few months she won't even remember it was there."

And that was it. It wasn't more than a few seconds notice. Kate's tummy was there, it was noticeable, and so people noticed it. Just like they do on any other pregnant woman. It is just, in a human way, that we are more surprised to see the rich and famous not covering it up, is all. Other than that, nothing.

Those who make cruel comments about it are in the minority and on the level of brain-dead schoolboys giggling and pointing. Worth ignoring, that's all.

I think most people had a reaction similar to mine, really.

I think it is MORE inappropriate to keep telling everyone they shouldn't have noticed it than it is to have noticed it in the first place.

(20)
Anonymous,
August 15, 2013 2:49 AM

public figures

You mentioned that she is a public figure. that doesn't mean that her figure is public. Anyway, Really, the tabloids and cnn are not what we should be spending time with at any point of the year but especially now. I did know she had a baby but I didn't see her stomach or care. I am surprised that this was worth writing about.THERE IS A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE THAT DOESN'T CARE ABOUT US, AND IS NOT GOOD FOR US. lETS NOT CONTAMINATE OURSELVES WITH THIS. hAVE A GOOD sHABBOS

(19)
Liz,
August 15, 2013 2:22 AM

obsession

Whether it's obsession about public figures/celebrity or weight, it's horrible to think these comments were made! Boggles the mind that this could even be the focus when a baby, any bay's born.

I watched the promised showing of the baby. In photographs, despite brave smiles, Kate looked a wee tired. And well she might!

She still looks pregnant after a day? It's normal. Point of fact, if she decided to nurse, healthy women retain at least 10 lbs... Will there be tutting about that? Or will nursing become more popular in the UK?

(18)
Anonymous,
August 15, 2013 12:01 AM

Post pregnancy paunch

I appreciate the author's thoughtful comments.Its nature, the uterus needs time to shrink as well, it takes a few months. It is a biological process. Why should Kate hide her bump, that she got in order to give birth to the beautiful child? People need to remember that we are not here just to live life as mere consumers, expecting to be fed and entertained every minute of our lives. They need to look at how they treat others and what they say.

(17)
Paulina,
August 14, 2013 9:09 PM

Buying OR giving birth

My gynecologist said once: "These days people are buying, not giving birth to their babies".
I totally agree with the author of the article on princess Kate and her newborn and the priorities suggested.

(16)
Rivka,
August 14, 2013 8:28 PM

Kate has it easy....

She doesn't have to host a huge party when her son is only 8 days old! ;)

Sophie,
August 15, 2013 7:45 PM

So true Rivka!

You made me laugh!

(15)
Sherine Levine,
August 14, 2013 7:57 PM

It's human notice...

No shame in noticing Kat's stomach. It's only human nature to do so. Although it did surprise me that she didn't hide it more with a looser-fitting dress.

(14)
MABSH"Y,
August 14, 2013 7:23 PM

Maybe it's a woman thing

...but I didn't even notice it.

(13)
Anonymous,
August 14, 2013 6:35 PM

Isn't this just about the media finding ways to create "exciting" content

I agree with your conclusions, but does anyone with half a brain really care? What I find disconcerting is the "pudgy moms" that have become the new normal. I just spent 4 weeks in 3 European countries and probably saw only a handful of even slightly overweight people. The first "fat" person I saw was an American tourist on the plane. Isn't it time we - and that includes the Jewish community - start thinking about why we have so many pudgy moms, dads, kids? People in Switzerland, Germany and italy (where I was) eat big, solid meals, and often even include junk. But they don't focus their daily lives on ongoing food. Many of us have actually gone the other way and devise ways of saving calories (I am just as guilty). So to circle back to the obsession with weight... I think this may be a good place to start thinking - and acting.

Gila,
August 15, 2013 10:25 AM

So true!

I just got back from Europe as well. It struck me too how healthy and sporty people look. Food doesn't seem to be screaming" take me" everywhere. People seem so in-sync with healthy living and habits. It's not "fress-land"..

(12)
Suzanne,
August 14, 2013 4:58 PM

Kate, the beautiful

Congratulations to William and Kate! The paunch is a normal part of giving birth. Knowing Kate, it will be off in no time, but, if it never comes off, who cares? She bothered having children which is more than a lot of Europeans ever did.

(11)
Jeff,
August 14, 2013 4:29 PM

What truly stands out

Well said, Emuna!

Never mind the fact that Lady Kate managed to look beautiful throughout her pregnancy and that she emerged from the hospital,smiling for the cameras, when -- let's face it -- any sane mother would most want to duck into a taxi and be whisked home.

More important than the post-partum paunch that she presents to the cameras is the example that she sets for the young women of her nation and the world: Kate was not born into royalty, but as the wife and mother of princes, she has chosen to assume a public persona loaded with privileges and responsibilities. Others before her, in similar roles (in Great Britain and elsewhere), have met these challenges with varying degrees of success and failure.

Instead of focusing on photos of Kate standing in profile, we need to look at her (if at all) in terms of the example she sets as a wife (and potentially the eventual "first wife" of her nation) and mother; and on the merits of her public comportment, "tsniut", and performance of mitzvot (e.g. charitable works).

(10)
IrisB,
August 14, 2013 4:24 PM

You need to hang out with a better crowd

I have not heard one remark among my friends regarding Kate Middleton's post baby figure. Quite honestly, few of us have paid any attention to the Royals. Their lives do not concern us, nor should they concern anyone else, unless you are a British citizen. Never understood the hoopla regarding any of them.

BUT - I and no one I know would care that Kate, or anyone else who has just given birth can get into her pre-pregnancy clothes, nor should they. Why should they?

(9)
Elisheva,
August 14, 2013 3:57 PM

Beautiful

PS: I wish I had looked at least half as beautiful as Kate Middleton the day after I gave birth to my children! :)

(8)
Elisheva,
August 14, 2013 3:53 PM

G-d has made everyone biologically equal; Kings, Princesses or ordinary people. It takes 9 months of pregnancy for that belly to be full, people should expect that it would take at least that long to get back to normal (although Doctors commonly say at least 1 year) that is for ordinary moms like you and me, or for Royalties.

(7)
Daya,
August 14, 2013 3:35 PM

Pregnancy Paunch

People have become brainless and cold hearted. That's it, no excuses for rude comments and judgments. Kate Middleton is just as human as the people are who make the comments rude or other wise..

(6)
Channah,
August 14, 2013 2:56 PM

Lost a child at birth and stil looked pregnant

What a shame - I noticed her pouch but I don't think Kate cared at all - I thought how fortunate for her that she has that wonderful bundle of joy - a gift from G-d! What is wrong with our society today? Yasher Koach indeed to Kate for being human! She is also nursing her baby - how many royals nursed their babies?

(5)
Anonymous,
August 13, 2013 9:48 PM

Unbelievable!!

The woman's stomach was stretched to the max, for nine months!! What does anyone expect? Kol Ha'Kavod to her for showing it off. I doubt it's a food gain, and will be gone in no time. But please, give the woman a break. She is after all a human being, and she looked great so soon after giving birth!

(4)
Jane Smith,
August 13, 2013 9:20 PM

The stomach is irrelevant. The taxpayer funded baby is relevant. At a time when the Scrooge government wages war against non-rich people it is an insult for the baby's rich parents to be scroungers

Jeff,
August 14, 2013 5:11 PM

wrong soapbox, lady!

Your vitriole -- aside from having nothing to do with the article -- is misplaced or based on a lack (or willful ignorance) of the available information.
I do not know to what you specifically refer, when you call the baby "taxpayer funded." Perhaps you refer to the hospital bill.
I hope you are not suggesting that wealthy people should be denied access to hospital care. That would be a very sick example of reverse discrimination, indeed!
But the fact is that the baby's parents and grandparents ARE taxpayers and so are as entitled as the next citizen to taxpayer funded healthcare. To be clear: I refer to ALL the child's grandparents. Even the Queen, whose wealth has always been tax-exempt by law, has been voluntarily paying taxes on her income for quite a few years.
A good example to all those tax cheats out there; and certainly quite the opposite of a "scrounger"!

(3)
Grrrr,
August 13, 2013 10:36 AM

rude & inappropriate

"I" have a tummy. Huge bloated tummy from many pregnancies that produced not one live birth. 13 abdominal operations to remove dermoid cysts off my ovaries - the largest weighing 13 pound not to mention scar tissue and muscles cut open. Now at 50 i still get asked my due date. In the words of my younger sister my due date is the same as when the asker finds some manners & learns not to be intrusive & offensive...

Anonymous,
August 14, 2013 4:05 PM

please take it as people being nice not nasty. i did the same thing when i was in hospital after losing a baby. i had been moved to a seperate room to give birth so i returned to the room i had been in while hoping to keep the baby and saw a woman with a large stomach. i asked her how far she was and she said to me that she wasn't pregnant. it was all the medication she had been given. i felt really bad but i hadn't asked her to be mean but friendly. i had two little girls at home, i was lucky. when people ask me why only two children, i give them the story of my other 4 pregnacies that didn't succeed . it shuts them up. i would say soon and let them go on their way. you will feel less upset i am sure.

(2)
N Kahana,
August 11, 2013 5:54 PM

Made me feel better

I remember the morning after I gave birth to my first child, I had to go to the nurse's station for a Rubella shot, since it was discovered during the pregnancy that I was not sufficiently protected and the nurse said to me "You're the one who gave birth yesterday? You look like you're still pregnant!" not the wisest thing to say to a brand new mother! Seeing Kate Middleton appear the day after giving birth to her first child with still a noticeable bump made me feel better about myself even after 19 years!! It just made her that much more human to the rest of us normal folk.

(1)
Lisa,
August 11, 2013 10:13 AM

Lets hear it for The Robe!!

Do we know the size of Sara , Leah or Rivka? What about Queen Esther? We just focus on their remarkable lives , their struggles & their middot. Looking good ( OK not just good but drop dead gorgeous) is just another hallmark of the Yetzer Hara. We all know we live in a world which puts a high value on looks. Yasher Koach to Kate for letting the world see her with a post baby bump.....no one I know would ever let themselves be photographed like that!! Maybe Kate is sending a message....she too is not immune to real life!!

Rachel,
August 14, 2013 4:41 PM

Scriptures do comment on feminine beauty

While we don't know their "size", the Torah does remark on Sarah's and Rachel's great beauty, as does Megillat Esther on Esther's appearance. Unfortunately, too many people read that in it's most superficial form, not understanding that the greatest beauty of these women was within.
As for the British royals -- look at old footage of the Queen from the 1950's and 60's -- she was SO pretty and fashionable! Today she looks like most every grandma who gave birth to 4 children....

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

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